More O.C. students passing exams in English, math, science

Beechwood eighth grader Lina Jang works to construct a paper hoop airplane that she collaborated on with fellow student Beth Lillie during their Stem class (science, technology, engineering, and math).BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Science: For the sixth year in a row, the passing rate rose in grades 5, 8 and 10. There was a 2 percentage-point gain in fifth grade, a 3 percentage-point gain in eighth grade, and a 4 percentage-point increase for 10th-grade life science.

History: The percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced increased in grades 8-11, for history, U.S. history and world history tests.

Graphics

Orange County's public school students made modest gains for the ninth straight year on a slew of standardized tests aimed at measuring how well they are learning math, English, science and social studies, according to figures released Friday.

Results of the California Standards Tests show that about 66 percent of students countywide in grades 2 through 11 tested proficient or advanced in English, and 71 percent of students in grades 2 through 7 passed in math. Last year, 63 percent passed in English and 70 percent passed in math.

More local students are also succeeding in algebra, physics, chemistry and other higher-level courses, as schools continue to place a stronger emphasis on preparing students for college and careers in science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM, educators said.

"I am pleased to see that students continue to make steady progress with academic achievement. This shows that our teachers, support staff, administrators and board members are committed to serving students with the highest degree of integrity and that they remain passionate about their work," county Superintendent Al Mijares said. "It is clear that Orange County is on the right track, and our educators are dedicated to ensuring the success and well-being of all students."

STEADY GROWTH CONTINUES

More than 361,000 students in Orange County were administered the CST in the spring. The tests are one of main tools used by the state to measure student achievement. They are a key ingredient of the state's Academic Performance Index and help determine whether schools meet testing targets required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. API and No Child Left Behind scores are scheduled for release in October.

The number of tests each student took depended on his or her grade level. For example, second-graders took two tests, in second-grade English and math. Meanwhile, high school students may have taken four or five tests, depending on their enrolled courses, in subjects like algebra, U.S. history, biology or chemistry.

Statewide, more than 4.7 million students in California took the CST, with 57 percent testing proficient or advanced in English and 63 percent passing in math. Last year, 54 percent of students statewide passed in English and 62 percent passed in math.

Orange County scores in English have increased by a combined 24 percentage points since 2003, the first years of the tests, and by 22 percentage points in math. Statewide, students have made similar improvements.

Many educators credit the steady improvement on the tests each year on California's standardized curriculum, called content standards, developed 10 years ago so teachers can prepare students for testing by following daily lesson plans.

"In less than a decade, California has gone from having only one student in three score proficient to better than one student in two. That's nearly 900,000 more students reaching proficiency now than in 2003 – a remarkable achievement that represents real, sustained improvements in learning," state Superintendent Tom Torlakson said in a statement.

School in Irvine Unified and Los Alamitos Unified on average had the highest passing rates in English and math, with many schools in these districts having passing rates between 85 percent and 100 percent across all grade levels.

In contrast, some schools in Santa Ana Unified and Anaheim City school districts had among the lowest scores. At Patrick Henry Elementary in Anaheim, 16 percent of third-graders passed in English, while at Santa Ana's Carver Elementary 18 percent of third-graders passed in English. These schools also had among the highest rates of English learners and low-income students countywide, the two students groups that often struggle the most on standardized tests.

But officials in these districts point to steady gains across all their schools to show that even struggling schools are moving in the right direction. Since 2010, all schools in Santa Ana have had a combined 5.6 percent increase in English passing rates, meaning an additional 1,222 students have scored proficient and advanced. In math, schools have recorded a 5.5 percent increase, meaning an additional 1,314 students have passed.

“The continuous improvement of our student’s performance on assessments is showing that we have a clear focus on learning and that we are on the right track to ensuring all of our students are college and career ready,” said Santa Ana Superintendent Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana.

Related Links

Beechwood eighth grader Lina Jang works to construct a paper hoop airplane that she collaborated on with fellow student Beth Lillie during their Stem class (science, technology, engineering, and math). BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood science teacher Holly Steele gives eighth grader Matthew McDonnell a high-five for expressing his understanding of a complex problem while studying the equation for determining speed of a moving object. Steele is the school's Science Olympiad advisor and has been the Orange County Teacher of the Year. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood science teacher Holly Steele's classroom is filled with helpful signs and reminders to get the most out of class. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
At Beechwood School in Fullerton, the schools' STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) teacher Ward Rovira, left, goes over a hoop airplane design with eighth graders Andrew Dean, right, and Trevor O'Brien. Rovira had his students design paper airplanes, test them, redesign and retest them. Rovira says they learn physics but also the scientific method as well. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Eighth-grader Matt Macias launches his paper hoop airplane during a lesson in physics and aerodynamics at Beechwood School in Fullerton. He measured the distance of the flight and will consider ideas to improve his design. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Eighth graders Beth Lille and Lina Jang work to construct a paper hoop airplane during their Stem class (science, technology, engineering, and math) at Beechwood School in Fullerton. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School eighth grader Arthur Bravo reviews a lesson on their iPad during science class. If a student needs a refresher on understanding difficult concepts, he can review the lesson on the iPad. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood science teacher Holly Steele works one on a plane with eighth-grader Jeremy Jones as they review a lesson on determining speed when given distance and time as factors. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood science teacher Holly Steele's classroom is filled with helpful signs and reminders to get the most out of class. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School eighth grader Lina Jang begins to construct a paper airplane that she and fellow student Beth Lillie designed. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Holly Steele is Beechwood School's Science Olympiad adviser and has been the Orange County Teacher of the Year. She has taken her Science Olympiad team to the state level several years in a row. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood eighth grader Emily Miramontes, 13, launches her paper hoop airplane during STEM class (science, technology, engineering, and math). Her plane actually turned and flew back behind her so a redesign was in order. Her project partner Megan La Fuente looks on. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School eighth-graders Adhitya Logan, right, and Matt Macias review a lesson on their iPad during science class. If students need a refresher on understanding difficult concepts, they can review the lesson on the iPad. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School sixth grader Dakarai Barney, 11, concentrates on solving a pattern on a Rubik's cube during his math class. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School math teacher Julia Barr gives Sabrina Rath a high-five after working with the sixth grader to solve a pattern on a Rubiks cube. The hands-on learning broke up a lesson on math divisibility rules. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood science teacher Holly Steele gives her eighth grade science class an illustration of the importance of being detailed when answering questions in science class. She said, "What do mean by five? Five miles? Five kittens? Be specific!" Steele is the school's Science Olympiad advisor and has been the Orange County Teacher of the Year. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Beechwood School math teacher Julia Barr, top left, teaches a lesson math divisibiltiy rules. She used her iPad to write on as she taught. The iPad image was fed to a another computer, which in turn was projected onto a white board for all the class to see. Several teachers at Beechwood use the electronic tablets to instruct and students use them to review lessons. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.